Edward e



(No Model.)

- E. E. GOLD.

- STEAM TRAP.

No. 350,880. I Patented 001;. 12, 1886.

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NITED STATES ATENT FFICEQ EDWARD E. GOLD, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,880, dated October 12, 1886.

Application filed June 15, 1886.

T LIZ whom it nut-y concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. GoLn, acitizen of theUnitcd States, residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of steamtraps employed for the removal of water and air from steanrpipe runs, which consists of a case inclosing a hollow disk, which disk is filled or partly filled with a volatile liquid which volatilizes at a temperature below that of steam, said disk forming the valve proper, and being held in relation with the seat, which seatis also in relation with the inlet of the steam-trap, the valve being placed in such relation with the seat that when water or air which has collected in the steamruns to which the trap is attached comes in contact with the valve, the temperature of said air or water being lower than that required to volatilize the liquid contained in the valve, the valve stands a short distance from the seat and allows said water or air to flow into the case which incloses said valve. The case which incloses the valve has an outlet freely opening to the atmosphere placed in such relation with the case that the water entering such case flows out freely by gravitation. Vhen, however, live steam reachesthe valve through the inlet to the case, it immediately raises the temperature of the volatile liquid contained in the valve, and expanding the same presses the valve down upon its seat, thus stopping communication between. the inlet of the case and theinterior of the case, and prevents the escape of steam.

The principle upon which these traps have been constructed is a good one, and the only fault in their action has arisen from imperfectionsin construction, which it is the object of my invention to obviate. The valve necessarily has to be made of thin metal, preferably of brass, and it has hitherto generally fitted upon a metallic seat, made preferably also of brass, and as soon as the face of the valve be comes to any extent scratched or worn or cut by the action of the air, steam, or water flowing over the same it ceases to act perfectly and leakage occurs. This leakage soon becomes so great as to render the valve entirely inefficient until a new seat and new valve have been supplied. Moreover, the set-screw which Serial Xe. 05,193.

(Y0 model.)

has hitherto been employed to adjust the valve in proper relation with the seat has abraded the back part ot' the valve, gradually cutting the same until finally it has necessitated the removal of the valve.

My invention partly consists in theforming of the valve-seat of this class of steam-traps with a face of elastic non-metallic compost tion which yields under pressure, and will fill and stop any slight abrasions of the surface of the face of the valve, so as to completelyprevent the escape of steam, even after the face of the valve may have become considerably worn.

It also consists in arming the point of the set-screw which holds said valve in relation with its seat, as hereinafter described, with a similar elastic material which prevents the contact of the back of the valve with the mc tallic part of the screw, and thus prevents the wear of the back of the valve to such an ex tent that when the front face of the valve has become worn to such a degree as would other wise require a new valve the valve can be turned over and the back side used as a valveface with perfect success. The life of the val ve is thus more than doubled and its action rendered entirely certain and perfect.

The invention also consists in certain details of construct-ion.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a valvccasc of a trap comprising my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same. i

A is the body'of the case, having the boss' 13 formed thcrcon for the insertion of an inlet pipe, 0.

D is a bonnet fitted to a flange, :ll, formed on the body of the case, and attached to said flange, preferably by through bolts 11, as shown, a suitable packing, (i, being interposed to make a tight joint. At the bot-tom ot' the case is formed a boss, lot, into which is inserted the outlet-pipe I.

K is the valve, formed, as shown, of a metal disk of sheet metal and partly filled with a volatile liquid or material which becomes liq uid at the temperature of steam, and which also volatilizes at such temperature, as shown at L. The front and the back side of said disk are slightly depressed centrally, as shown at M, to form plane surfaces, either of which may act as valve-faces, according as one or other of them is presented to the val ve-seat N. Said valve-seat is inserted, preferably, by screwing it into a boss, 0, formed on the interior of the back of the case of the trap, as shown.

In the face of the valve-seat N is inserted an annular ring, P, of elastic composition, which may be identical with or similar in character to the composition used on the faces v of what are generally known as the Jen- I tached to or formed thereon a shallow cup, S,

in which is fitted a disk, P, of elastic material, similar to that which forms the annular ring P in the valve-seat. The set-screw R is inserted into the boss Q from the inside of the bonnet D. The outer end of the setscrew has formed in it a nick, T, whereby the set-screw may be adjusted, and upon the outer end of said set-screw is fitted a combined jamnut and screw-cap, U, which covers the end of the setscrew, andalso holds it firmly in position when set. On the interior of the sides of the case are formed at proper intervals ribs V, which support and guide the valve L and keep it in central relation with the case.

The action of the trap is as follows: XVhen the inlet 0 contains air or water of lower temperature than that of steam, the liquid L in the valve K exerts no material pressure upon the walls of the hollow disk. The valvehaving been adjusted, as shown in the section, to leave a small distance between its face and the face of the seat, a very slight pressure forces the valve away from the seat into the position shown in Fig. 2, and the water and air then flow through the space between the valve and the seat into the body of the case and escape through the outlet I. As soon, however, as water sufficiently hot or live steam reaches the valve L it almost' instantly heats the same toatemperature which volatilizes the liquid L, or a portion thereof, and generates sufficient pressure in the interior of said valve to expand it between its abutment against the disk P on the set-screw R and the seat P, and thus completely closes all communication bebetween the outlet 0 and the interior of the case A. The opening from the inlet into the case will thus remain closed so long as live steam is in contact with the valve L, or rather in contact with that portion of the valve L which lies within the annular face P of the valve-seat. hen, however, water or air, which by their superior gravity will take a lower position than that of steam, comes in contact with the valve K again, the vapor of the volatile liquid which has expanded in the interior of said valve will again condense, and the valve will contract to allow the escape of water or air, or both, and this action will be repeated indefinitely.

In order that the Water and air may reach at all times the inlet C after it has accumulated in the pipe-runs, the trap is placed in a relatively low position in said pipe-runs to allow free drainage toward the trap.

By means of the set-screw the valve may be adjusted so as to close at any temperature or pressure of steam, the space left between it and its seat being proportioned to the expansion of the valve at that temperature.

Having thus described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the external case or body of the steam-trap, the valve K, containing volatile liquid, and adjusting screw B, of a valve seat, N, provided with a face of elastic material or composition, P, such face being. arranged to bear directly and flatly against the side of the'hollow valve K when the latter closes upon said face, substantially as and for the purpcse herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the body of a steam-trap, a hollow valve, K, containing volatile liquid, valve-seat N, and adjustingscrew R, of a disk or cap of non-metallic elastic material or composition, P, attached to said screw for protecting the rear valve-face of said valve from, abrasion, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination of the body of the trap,

valve K, containing volatile liquid L, valveseat N, provided with the annular valveface P, of non-metallic elastic material or composition, and the set-screw R, armed with nonmetal'lic elastic material P at its inner end, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4-. The combination of the body of the trap, valve K, containing volatile liquid L, valveseat N, providedwith the valve-face P, of noninetallic elastic material or composition, the set-screw R, inserted through the bonnet D of said body, the shallow cup S, formed on or attached to the inner end of said set-screw, and the disk of non-metallic elastic material or composition inserted in said cup, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

5. The combination. ofthe body of the trap, valve K, containing volatile liquid L, valveseat N, provided with the valve-face P, of nonmetallic elastic material or composition, the set-screw R, inserted through the bonnet D of said body, the shallow cup S, formed on or attached to the inner end of said set-screw, the disk of non-metallic elastic material or compositioninserted in said cup, and the combined jam-nut or screw-cap U, fitted to the outwardly-projecting end of said set-screw, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

EDXVARD E. GOLD. Witnesses:

JNO. E. GAVIN, LEICESTER ALLEN. 

